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Lincoln Henderson, a name that many Bourbonites know from Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, is about to make history again. Lincoln and his son Wes have created Louisville Distilling Company. In the coming weeks they will give us their first expression of Angel’s Envy. A unique bourbon whiskey that has been finished in port wine casks.

The word is that the whiskey for this first expression which will be called “Expression 10/10” has been sourced from another distiller, under strict guidelines and quality control from Lincoln, and aged in Lawrenceburg, Indiana at Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana (LDI). This is a common practice in the bourbon industry in order for new distillers to be able to hit the ground running. We are hearing that the whiskey was aged in new charred oak barrels for 4 years and then finished or matured in port sherry casks for around 6 months.

BourbonBuzz was able to obtain a sample of Angel’s Envy prior to release. This whiskey comes in at 86.6 proof (43.3 ABV). It has a wonderful golden amber color with a slight pink hue. The nose is highly aromatic, with sweet notes from the port and an almost maple aroma. The first sip is very smooth, clean and refreshing. It has a mild to medium body that is very well balanced. On the palate it has many sweet and toasty maple characteristics that carry through to a very long, complex and slightly dry finish. Angel’s Envy is not a bourbon that you will want to mix in a cocktail. You will want to sip this one neat or with a dollop of branch in order to savor all of it’s subtleties.

It has a suggested retail for $45.99 per 750 ml and should be in fine dining establishments and store shelves in KY very soon. While you are waiting, be sure to check them out on the web at AngelsEnvy.com.

The Four Roses Single Barrel Limited Edition 2009 Release is starting to hit the shelves now. The bourbon is coming at uncut barrel strength and has not been chill filtered. It is running 11 years old and around 113.8 proof (or 56.9 percent alcohol by volume). The 2009 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon has combined the mashbill using 20% rye grain with yeast number 5 which is the OESQ recipe (see below for reference code info). The distillery is producing 1,836 bottles of this release, from super select barrels, and distributing it only in select U.S. markets. The price point is around $70 USD.

“We’re excited to continue the tradition of releasing an exceptional, and very unique single barrel limited edition that consists of one recipe we feel exhibits various combinations of flavors and aromas pleasing to any Bourbon enthusiast,” said Rutledge.

As a member of the Mellow Moments Club, I had the privilege of tasting this bourbon at the Four Roses Distillery prior to its release. Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge, opened a barrel and drew some of the precious whiskey straight from the barrel for us to taste. He kept the pours coming all night and entertained us until we were all content! When asked how he liked to drink his bourbon, he said, “straight from the barrel!”

The first thing I noticed about my pour of whiskey was the dark, rich amber color. The nose was quite potent and told of the higher proof. The first taste had an initial edge that turned smooth and sweet. Upon taking my first taste, I immediately noticed less spice and ultimately less rye than the standard Four Roses single barrel bourbon (20 % vs. 35%). This bourbon seemed to sit very well on the tongue and was less oily than the standard single barrel. I tasted the oak, nuts, caramel, honey, a bit of wheat grass and spice. It had a very long, clean and complex finish with a nice slow burn that hung around for a bit. After several drinks, the rye started to pop out a little more, but was not overpowering and somewhat subtle. It added to the great complexity of the bourbon. I added a splash of water, which greatly opened the whiskey up and brought out more subtleties. It handled the splash of water very well and is how I will probably drink it from this point forward.

Overall the bourbon is a success. It is different from anything else I have tasted from Four Roses. I can say that it is probably not a bourbon for the beginner or average bourbon drinker. It is definitely targeted at the connoisseur with a sophisticated palette. That being said, I will definitely be buying several bottles of this for the bunker, if I can find them.